Competition for top titles was as strong as it has always been on Ingliston’s turf – even if the livestock at the Royal Highland Showcase were thin on the ground.
The overall continental cattle champion on day two of the event was Grahams Precious, a two-year-old Limousin heifer from Robert Graham at Bridge of Allan.
And in reserve position was Maerdy Morwr, the Charolais bull from AJR Farms at Ellon which was the supreme champion of last year’s DC Thomson Online Agricultural Show.
Morwr was bought privately by the Aberdeenshire herd for 25,000gns three years ago from Welsh breeder, Esmor Evans.
AJR stock manager, Andrew Reid, who has brought out five champions at Ingliston from three different breeds said: “Winning the online show last year was great and we came here to prove he’s not just an online winner.”
Cumbrian steel fabricator Thor Atkinson had a successful day, carrying off the British Blonde championship for his heifer as well as reserve rosettes for his Charolais and British Blue heifers, with the support of Crieff stockman, Duncan McLaren.
The Smith family from Drumsleed, Laurencekirk won the Simmental championship with Drumsleed Hivy 16, the five-year-old bull which was male champion at the last Royal Highland Show and champion at the breed’s 2019 national show at Kelso.
His first son sold for 11,000gns at Stirling in February.
And in the commercial cattle ring, Crieff’s Wilson Peters got the championship rosette for 10-month-old Belgian Blue cross heifer, A’va Butt.
William Laird from Lochhead, Kirkcaldy won a reserve championship for his Blonde bull, but probably deserved a special award for naming it Lochhead Proper Damn Good Bull.
Over in the sheep lines a ewe lamb lead the way in the interbreed championship.
That was the winner from the crossing type Bluefaced Leicester section, from Andrew and Euan McQuistin’s Barnshangan flock at New Luce.
It’s a first overall breed title at the show for the McQuistins, who run 20 ewes in their flock. Their ewe lamb is sired by G34 Midlock.
Reserve overall went to a three-crop North Country Cheviot ewe from Roderick Runciman and son Lewis, from Allanshaws, Kelso.
The Runcimans had more to celebrate, when they secured the top pair accolade with their champion ewe.
She teamed up with the two-shear ram Allanshaws Amarillo, which was bred by the Runcimans, but shown by George Milne, who had bought him at Lockerbie.
Reserve pair were the traditional Bluefaced Leicesters, including the champion and reserve in that section.
Winning their third championship at Ingliston, Inverurie-based Raymond and Beth Aitken, triumphed in the Ryeland classes with a home-bred gimmer by Fetternear Yoffie.
A strong commercial section was led by a pair of Beltex lambs from the Morton family of Lochend, Denny, while reserve went to Stirling’s Robert Bryce, on his show debut at Ingliston, with a home-bred Suffolk cross gimmer.
The champions
British Limousin – R Graham, Stirling, with two-year-old heifer Graham’s Precious by Claragh Franco and out of Grahams Melody. Reserve – Dougie McBeath and Sarah Jane Jessop, Stirling, with two-year-old bull Springsett President by Gunnersfleet Lion and out of Poolehall Iris.
Commercial – Wilson Peters, Crieff, with 10-month-old Belgian Blue cross heifer A’va Butt by Warehams Mickey and out of a Limousin cross cow bred by J Pobertson & Co. Reserve – Kevin Watret, Annan, with home-bred 21-month-old heifer Cream Cracker by Anside Foreman and out of Solway View Elegance.
Simmental – Gerald, Morag and Douglas Smith, Drumsleed, Laurencekirk, with five-year-old bull Drumsleed Hivy 16 by Haystar Cracker 11 and out of Drumsleed Valonia. Reserve – Melvyn, Margaret and Lachlan Quarm, Ayrshire, with heifer Annick Whitney’s Fresia by Wolfstar Gold Digger 15 and out of Annick Whitney’s Fresia.
British Charolais – AJR Farms, Ellon, with four-year-old bull Maerdy Morwr by Maerdy Dynamite. Reserve – Thor Atkinson, Ulverston, with 15-month-old heifer Tophill Roxanne by Hackleton Lagerlout.
British Blue – Kevin Wartret, Annan, with yearling heifer Solway View Pearl by Dodou de St Remacle and out of Solway View Milly. Reserve – Thor Atkinson, Ulverston, with 18-month-old heifer Newland Petra by Langoureux de Fooz and out of Croftends Khloe.
Salers – Rednock Estate, Stirling, with yearling bull Rednock Panther Poll by Rigel Munro Poll and out of Rigel Cindy. Reserve – Iain Livesey, Melrose, with five-year-old cow with calf at foot Cleuchhead Mhairi by Drumlegagh Brandon and out of Ceuchhead Mhairi 10th
British Blondes – Thor Atkinson with heifer Blackwater Maple by Blackwater Heston and out of Blackwater April. Reserve – Lyle Laird and Son, Lochhead, Kirkcaldy, with rising two-year-old bull Lochhead Proper Damn Good Bull by Baileys Jasper and out of a home-bred dam.
Young handlers – Amy Vance. Reserve – Jessica Hornall.
Bluefaced Leicester Crossing Type – Andrew and Euan McQuistin, Barnshangan, New Luce, with a home-bred ewe lamb by G34 Midlock, out of L21 Barnshangan. Reserve – Andrew and Euan McQuistin’s ram lamb, by Highberries Golden Boy, out of Highberries M43.
North Country Cheviot – J Runciman and Sons, Allanshaws, Galashiels, with a three-crop ewe by Allanshaws Triple Twenty. Reserve – J Runciman and Sons’ gimmer, by a £3,000 Sebay ram, out of Allanshaws Sweet Pea.
Bluefaced Leicester Traditional Type – Kate and Alan Smith, Low Arkland, Castle Douglas, with a home-bred gimmer by a Kelso-bought Lowesfell ram, out of a Kirkstead-bred ewe. Reserve – Lindsay and Robert Currie, Braegarrie, Girvan, with a two-shear ram bought at Hexham for £7,000, bred at Whinnyhall.
Blackface – Stuart and William Heads, Aitkenhead, Fenwick, with a home-bred gimmer, by a Lurg loan tup, out of a ewe by £13,000 Gass. Reserve – CC MacArthur, Nunnerie, Elvanfoot, with a five-crop rough ewe, by £20,000 Auldhouseburn, out of a ewe by £50,000 Pole.
Commercial – Andrew Morton, Lochend, Denny, with a pair of 41kg Beltex lambs, sired by Griffin Dexter and out of three-quarter Beltex ewes. Reserve – Robert Bryce, Chalmerston, Stirling, with a Suffolk cross gimmer, sired by a home-bred Chalmerston ram and out of a Beltex cross ewe.
Shetland – Denise, Patrick and Alex Playfair, Kaimknowe, Kelso, with Kaimknowe Sorrel, a four-crop white ewe, by Kaimknowe Gold Plated and out of Galtress Sorrel. Reserve – David Alcorn, Annavale, Biggar, with Annavale Amelia, a home-bred three-crop ewe, by Rigg Apache, out of Stoneheap Amelie.
Ryeland – Raymond and Beth Aitken, Newton of Fetternear, Inverurie, with a home-bred gimmer by Fetternear Yoffie, out of a bought-in ewe. Reserve – Annette and David Mitchell, Wellhill, New Cumnock, with Bryn Caffo Zac, a two-shear ram bought at Worcester as a lamb.
Hebridean – John and Caroline Mosley, Blyth Bridge, with Brightside Wiay, a 2016-born ram bought at Lanark. He is by Cinderhill Jotun. Reserve – Jack and Morna Cuthbert, Ardoch, Kinross, with Ardoch Indiana Jones, a home-bred shearling ram by Sycamore Kknight Errant, out of Ronasvoe Quitaria.
Young handlers – Joanna Dale (13), showing a Gosland Blackface gimmer. Reserve – Alexander Clark (9), showing a home-bred commercial ewe lamb.